Security tightened to prevent weapons entering Arakan State

Because of ongoing fighting in Arakan State security has been tightened since the third week of April to prevent illegal weapons entering through state and national borders said the Arakan Police’s Sittwe District Commander.

The commander, Lieutenant-Colonel Win Naung, said: “The main issue in Arakan State is the AA (Arakan Army). The AA and the Burma Army have recently been fighting in Arakan State and we heard rumors that the DKBA (Democratic Karen Benevolent Army) is sending weapons here so we are carrying out checks to prevent weapons from entering Arakan State.”

His comments were made to the media at the Kyauktan checkpoint at the entrance to Sittwe on 27 April.

The military, the police, anti-narcotic teams, and immigration department officials have been working together carefully checking buses, trucks and private vehicles. As well as checking for weapons they have also been checking for drugs.

Someone who was checked at the Kyauktan Inspection Gate said to Narinjara News: “I felt scared because they were using so many forces to carry out the inspection. I was worried that something might happen to me, even though I had done nothing that would concern them.”

Police Lt-Col Win Naung said that even though they have been carrying out the checks since fighting broke out between the AA and the Burma Army, until 27 April they had found nothing suspicious.